Normally musicians play all the notes of a song on their instruments, Troon explained.

But in a handbell choir, each ringer is assigned specific notes and plays them at the right times during the musical score.

"Everyone works together to make the music," Troon said. "There is a spirit of cooperation. You need all the notes. If a song has a B flat, you need someone to play it. If you don't have someone, you can't play the song."

Generally, musicians sound two bells, one in each hand. They also wear gloves to keep the oils on their hands from degrading the bells' finish.

Troon learned how to play handbells at the Seventh Day Baptist Church when she was a teenager.

She loved it so much she returned to a handbell choir as an adult.

"If I have a bad day at work and then go to bell choir practice, my bad day is over because we have such a good time," Troon said. "Just thinking about all these great women I play with raises my spirits."

Jayne Lubke both directs and plays in the eight-member handbell choir at Hope Lutheran.

"Bells are such energetic, physical instruments," she said. "I come home from rehearsals both exhausted and fully energized. The act of ringing and directing is like going to an aerobics class, and it's just plain fun."

Like Troon, Lubke learned how to play handbells at the Seventh Day Baptist Church, now known as the Connecting Church, where she is a member.

In 1966, the church was the first congregation in the area to form a handbell choir, which became well-known for its performances in the community.

Today, the bells are in storage because of a shortage of players and direction.

Liz Green, associate pastor, does not know when the handbells fell into disuse.

"Herb Saunders was our pastor, and his wife, Barbara, was the bell choir director," Green said. "Since that time, we have not had a regular bell choir."

Jillian Beaty directs the adult handbell choir at First Congregational Church, where nine people ages 9 to 60-plus make music together.

"It's fun to watch my ringers incorporate their emotions into songs," Beaty said. "It's really awe-inspiring to watch them come together and make wonderful music."

In addition to directing, she also plays in the choir and has played handbells since she was a child.

"There's something about playing handbells," Beaty said. "It's my hour when I get to be one with the music and God, and I get to let my emotions and feelings come through. You depend on everyone in the bell choir. You mesh with the people around you."

She suspects her passion for handbells is intertwined with sweet childhood memories of the instruments.